About The Photographers

Jim Leslie is the founder of Alaska Waters and now co-owns the company with his two children. He has been trying to retire for a few years now to spend more time pursuing his passion for photography. Many of the images on Alaska Waters’ website were taken by Jim. He defers to the invaluable assistance and advice from many friend and client photographers.

Meet Michael Daniel Ho! For over a quarter of a century, Mike’s passion for the environment and conservation has centered on his love of travel and wildlife photography. Many animal and plant species are going extinct at an alarming rate. We live in a time when nature finds itself in a fragile state. There are less habitats and more people, fauna and flora are under severe pressure. Wildlife photography can be a powerful tool for conservation. His mission is to promote the understanding and appreciation of the world’s biodiversity and the need for its preservation, through the lens of wildlife imagery. Powerful wildlife and nature images are effective and emotive tools in building public awareness and education in combating this worrisome decline.

Matthias Breiter, M.Sc. (Biology) is a renowned biologist and award-winning professional photographer/cinematographer, publisher and author. He has spent most of the past 30 years researching the daily lives and habits of bears, mostly focusing on grizzlies and polar bears. He is deeply involved with conservation efforts involving the American and Canadian Arctic and Subarctic. Matthias is Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, Fellow of the legendary Explorer’s Club and founding member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP). He is an expedition leader for the National Geographic Society. Matthias believes in making a difference by exposing people to the beauties and wonders of nature through photography, print, presentations and cinematography so that they may work for the preservation of such gifts for future generations. Scientifically, he continues to be involved with various research projects about bears. His articles and photography have been published in numerous major magazines including National Geographic, GEO, BBC Wildlife, Canadian Geographic, Animan, Terre Sauvage, Outdoor Photographer. Matthias has been a frequent lecturer at zoos and also the Smithsonian Institution about bear biology and bear conservation. He produced features and worked as a cinematographer for the National Geographic Society, Discovery Channel, Smithsonian Channel, BBC, ARTE, WDR, BR and many other TV stations around the globe. He has hosted TV shows for Angry Planet, BR, Smithsonian Channel and ZDF. His documentary “Polar Bear Summer” which he produced for Smithsonian Channel has won numerous international awards and is currently nominated for an Emmy. Married with three children, Matthias Breiter is based in Kenora, Ontario, Canada.

Mark Zablotsky resides in Folsom, CA, and is a Periodontist who practices part-time. Over the years his interest in photography has taken him from a serious hobbyist to now a part-time professional. His photographs have been displayed in many gallery shows, and he has won numerous prizes. He leads photographic trips and workshops, which in the last few years include: Eastern and Southern Africa, Yosemite, The Grand Canyon & Yellowstone National Parks, the Iditarod in Alaska as well as S.E. Alaska, and The Eastern Sierras to name a few. Mark’s photographic interests include: landscape and wildlife photography predominately, but also enjoys photographing sports, concerts, theatre, dance, and street photography. Mark is a graduate of The Ohio State University for his BS in Zoology and for his dental degree, and The Louisiana State University’s School of Dentistry for his periodontal training. He loves returning to Columbus to support his Buckeyes, and enjoys attending concerts and music festivals. You’re invited to visit his website at www.markzablotskyphotography.com, and he can be contacted at [email protected].

Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Mike Klosterman quickly found himself enjoying and appreciating the outdoors. Biking and fishing the local streams, lakes, and trails his curiosity developed an instinctive drive for something bigger and better. His childhood goal became clear: explore the Oceans and travel far. With an opportunity to ditch his job at the local Italian restaurant and work in Guam, his goals were finally a reality. Upon his arrival in the West Pacific he quickly felt the need to capture his travels, lo and behold his first camera purchase: A 1.3 megapixel Sony Cyber-Shot! After capturing a couple hundred-thousand blurry, overexposed photos over the course of 3 years, it was time for an upgrade. Fast forward the clocks and a couple thousand nautical miles, Mike landed on the shores of Sitka Alaska. His love for Alaska was immediately overwhelming and it was then he knew he would not stray far from the Great Land. With a new opportunity in Hawaiian waters, well, he couldn’t say no. It was here that he was able to stick his shiny new expensive DSLR in a plastic some-what waterproof case and take it swimmin’. This added a whole new level of photography for him. It wasn’t too long until he decided to strap on my DaFin kick fins and head to Oahu’s North Shore and attempt to capture and share brief moments spent on the inside of crashing waves. After nearly 6 years of trying not to drown with his camera attached to his wrist, his internal compass was turning North and he knew it was time to return to Alaska. “As a photographer I want nothing more than to share and encourage others through my stories and more importantly, my imagery. I hope to make quality art affordable and exciting for everyone it may come in contact with.”